Deep learning, making an effort to independently research and further one's knowledge of a topic, is the key to success in school. Learning in class from listening to lecture and taking notes is only the first step; one can write down information and memorize it exactly as dictated to perform well on tests. That first step is called strategic or "surface" learning; one has minimal knowledge of the topic and memorizes the information, but may not fully understand it. In order to retain information, one must be a deep learner, willing to take free time to research a topic outside of class in order to understand material in a way that makes sense in his or her own mind. I want to be a deep learner in college; my struggle will be finding the time. I want to be able to synthesize, not summarize, and be able to make an educated statement that I can support with facts and feel comfortable defending. I want to learn something in class and then research it, not just study it, and be able to teach it to someone in my own words. That is when one fully understands something, when one can synthesize it and deliver a central idea to someone else without just repeating the facts the same way one first read them. If I can know something that well and it makes sense in my own head, I will be able to retain it and remember it always. Facts I memorize from a book to pass a test the next day will not stay with me; I may earn a good grade, but I will not truly be smarter. I believe strategic learning only works in high school, where the test is the most important thing, and so students only need to know enough to pass tests. In college, tests are essays; students must be able to apply what they learned as well as combine it with their personal experience to produce a central idea they can defend in a paper. Students must be deep learners if they hope to write this way to pass exams. I also think teachers have to be deep learners; if it sounds like they are simply repeating words from a textbook, their students will realize they do not have a grasp on the subject. Teachers who are strategic learners are also incapable of answering questions; they only know how to explain the lesson the way the book explains it, and so cannot reword what they have said in a way that would make more sense to the student. So many times I have seen students ask questions regarding the way a teacher has presented a subject, and the teacher can only explain it exactly the same way. If teachers do not go out of their way to be deep learners, their students will see they lack knowledge of their subject. Some students may research the subject on their own to understand it, but it is more likely that students with a teacher who is not motivated will not be motivated themselves and so will let the things they do not understand fall through the cracks. In order to be an effective teacher, I must be able to put what I teach into my own words; in order to do that, I must be a deep learner. I want to not only do well in college, but also retain what I learn and carry that information with me past college. Making a effort to be a deep learner in all my classes, especially those not related to my two majors, Marine Biology and Secondary Education, will make me a well-rounded individual. Researching topics independently will not only make me understand the material, but will likely get me interested in learning more about the subjects. Strategic learners have surface knowledge of subjects for a short time, but deep learners retain a wide range of knowledge their whole lives, and I am determined to be a deep learner.
Deep learning, making an effort to independently research and further one's knowledge of a topic, is the key to success in school. Learning in class from listening to lecture and taking notes is only the first step; one can write down information and memorize it exactly as dictated to perform well on tests. That first step is called strategic or "surface" learning; one has minimal knowledge of the topic and memorizes the information, but may not fully understand it. In order to retain information, one must be a deep learner, willing to take free time to research a topic outside of class in order to understand material in a way that makes sense in his or her own mind.
I want to be a deep learner in college; my struggle will be finding the time. I want to be able to synthesize, not summarize, and be able to make an educated statement that I can support with facts and feel comfortable defending. I want to learn something in class and then research it, not just study it, and be able to teach it to someone in my own words. That is when one fully understands something, when one can synthesize it and deliver a central idea to someone else without just repeating the facts the same way one first read them. If I can know something that well and it makes sense in my own head, I will be able to retain it and remember it always. Facts I memorize from a book to pass a test the next day will not stay with me; I may earn a good grade, but I will not truly be smarter. I believe strategic learning only works in high school, where the test is the most important thing, and so students only need to know enough to pass tests. In college, tests are essays; students must be able to apply what they learned as well as combine it with their personal experience to produce a central idea they can defend in a paper. Students must be deep learners if they hope to write this way to pass exams.
I also think teachers have to be deep learners; if it sounds like they are simply repeating words from a textbook, their students will realize they do not have a grasp on the subject. Teachers who are strategic learners are also incapable of answering questions; they only know how to explain the lesson the way the book explains it, and so cannot reword what they have said in a way that would make more sense to the student. So many times I have seen students ask questions regarding the way a teacher has presented a subject, and the teacher can only explain it exactly the same way. If teachers do not go out of their way to be deep learners, their students will see they lack knowledge of their subject. Some students may research the subject on their own to understand it, but it is more likely that students with a teacher who is not motivated will not be motivated themselves and so will let the things they do not understand fall through the cracks.
In order to be an effective teacher, I must be able to put what I teach into my own words; in order to do that, I must be a deep learner. I want to not only do well in college, but also retain what I learn and carry that information with me past college. Making a effort to be a deep learner in all my classes, especially those not related to my two majors, Marine Biology and Secondary Education, will make me a well-rounded individual. Researching topics independently will not only make me understand the material, but will likely get me interested in learning more about the subjects. Strategic learners have surface knowledge of subjects for a short time, but deep learners retain a wide range of knowledge their whole lives, and I am determined to be a deep learner.